Dr Barbara Louw works as a Traumatologist, registered wellness- and pastoral counsellor. Her professional registration falls under ASCHP (Association for Supportive Counsellors and Holistic Practitioners) and ACRP (Association of Christian Religious Practitioners).

Her postgraduate studies included an investigation of the use narrative therapy with victims of sexual violations (Master’s in Sociology at COU) and posttraumatic embitterment disorder (PhD in Management of Counselling at Azteka University). As a renowned author, speaker and training facilitator, Dr Barbara started her journey in the helping profession as an ordained minister.

Sheco- started a non-profit organisation, Inter Trauma Nexus, in 1998 with the sole purpose of bringing hope to victims of crime.

Dr Barbara is a BACA (Board for the Affiliation of Counselling Associations) board member and certified CPD facilitator and she ensures the improvement of industry wide standards and skills through extensive CPD workshops. As a faculty member of Liedani cc as DaVinci Institute research associate, Dr Barbara is involved with the development of new qualifications.

In her capacity as trauma relief facilitator and strategic advisor to the NAA-SA (National Accommodation Association – South Africa) Dr Barbara continues to assist community members and tourists who are affected by crime and trauma in South Africa. Dr Barbara also invests a portion of her time pro-bono in several local church and community projects.

Dr Barbara has been a training evaluation advisor for several corporate clients in the field of emergency response, including Trigger SA. Other long-term corporate clients include the Foschini Group, Railway Furnishers, and Brenner Mills. Her business services and training company, Aquilla Advisors cc, has been a member of the CCBC (Capital City Business Chamber) for over ten years.

Through her private practice, Aquilla Wellness Solutions, Dr Barbara developed Kailo Soothing Oils and Kailo Movement Programme to assist people to reduce sensory trauma in their bodies. Dr Barbara and her team of experts continue to develop and improve on these programmes to better assist the needs of her clients. In the process of completing her postgraduate studies, Dr Barbara developed numerous therapeutic tools with the aim of assisting therapists and counsellors, as well as other professional people in the helping professions, to guide their clients to identify their emotions. These therapeutic tools also assist people to grow towards enhanced wellness. Dr Barbara authored several books with a similar aim. The latest publication by Dr Barbara is entitled “Roots and All – dealing with posttraumatic embitterment’.

Her continued dedication to lifelong learning sees her pursuing a second doctoral degree focusing on wellbeing and folk medicine.

(Compiled by: Aquilla Advisors)

She ascribes her success to a calling from God and a huge portion of grace and mercy. Teamwork is a key element in working with people, especially in challenged communities. In an era where services to people is fractured and takes place in isolated pockets, she appeals on people’s goodwill and advocates for working together to achieve synergy. “Together we can make a lasting difference”.

There are times in your life when you experience an overwhelming feeling of having lost time, thinking that you will never be able to catch up again.

Time to be well is a life affirming book by Dr Barbara Louw that will empower you to be well and truly live a life of wholeness. Some of the topics she highlights include the test of time, a time to sow, a time to reap and taking time to rest.

Roots and All, by Dr Barbara Louw, is based on ground-breaking research into Bitterness and Posttraumatic Embitterment Reactions and Disorder.

This book provides insights into the prevalence of bitterness and embitterment in individuals, families and the community, as well as in the workplace.

It will enable you to get the big picture of what embitterment is and how it impacts people’s health, relationships and wellness. You will be shown how to understand the concepts of ‘wellness’ and ‘unwellness’ in a holistic systems paradigm. It will present you to understand and apply the principles natural health to enhance and obtain wholeness.

It gives practical guidelines and applicable suggestions on how to assist individual, therapists, HR-practitioners, pastors and managers on a road to healing, wholeness and forgiveness.